Occupational Medicine 2004;54:3-13
© Society of Occupational Medicine 2004; all rights reserved
Low back pain interventions at the workplace: a systematic literature review
Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway
Objective To assess the effect of controlled workplace interventions on low back pain (LBP) through a review of controlled studies. The rising costs of employees with LBP have resulted in an abundance of offers to society and organizations of interventions to prevent and/or treat the problem. Little is known of the effect of the different interventions.
Methods A systematic literature search based on the inclusion criteria: controlled trial, work setting and assessment of at least one of the four main outcome measures: sick leave; costs; new episodes of LBP; and pain. Effect of the interventions was reported for the four main outcome measures.
Results Thirty-one publications from 28 interventions were found to comply with the inclusion criteria. Exercise interventions to prevent LBP among employees and interventions to treat employees with LBP have documented an effect on sick leave, costs and new episodes of LBP. Multidisciplinary interventions have documented an effect on the level of pain.
Conclusions The results show that there is good reason to be careful when considering interventions aiming to prevent LBP among employees. Of all the workplace interventions only exercise and the comprehensive multidisciplinary and treatment interventions have a documented effect on LBP. There is a need for studies employing good methodology.
Keywords Controlled; interventions; low back pain; systematic review; workplace
Received 3 December 2002
Revised 15 May 2003
Accepted 7 July 2003
Corresponding author: Torill H. Tveito, Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Jonas Liesvei 91, N-5009 Bergen, Norway. Tel: +47 55 58 62 33; fax: +47 55 58 98 72; e-mail: Torill.Tveito{at}psych.uib.no
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  E Haukka, P Leino-Arjas, E Viikari-Juntura, E-P Takala, A Malmivaara, L Hopsu, P Mutanen, R Ketola, T Virtanen, I Pehkonen, et al. A randomised controlled trial on whether a participatory ergonomics intervention could prevent musculoskeletal disorders Occup. Environ. Med., December 1, 2008; 65(12): 849 - 856. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Chou and L. H. Huffman Nonpharmacologic Therapies for Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Review of the Evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline Ann Intern Med, October 2, 2007; 147(7): 492 - 504. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Drews, C. V. Nielsen, M. S. Rasmussen, J. Hjort, and J. P. Bonde Improving motivation and goal setting for return to work in a population on sick leave: A controlled study Scand J Public Health, January 1, 2007; 35(1): 86 - 94. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A K Mortelmans, P Donceel, D Lahaye, and S Bulterys Does enhanced information exchange between social insurance physicians and occupational physicians improve patient work resumption? A controlled intervention study Occup. Environ. Med., July 1, 2006; 63(7): 495 - 502. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T S Kristensen Intervention studies in occupational epidemiology Occup. Environ. Med., March 1, 2005; 62(3): 205 - 210. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Magnussen, T. Rognsvag, T. H. Tveito, and H. R. Eriksen Effect of a Brief Cognitive Training Programme in Patients with Long-lasting Back Pain Evaluated as Unfit for Surgery J Health Psychol, March 1, 2005; 10(2): 233 - 243. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|